How to write a returns policy a support bot can use

A returns policy a support bot can use has exact numbers and exact steps in it, and it covers the exceptions. If someone could read your policy and still need to email you, a bot will struggle with it as well. Both need the same thing from you, which is specifics.

I've read a lot of pet shop returns policies. The good ones are short and precise. The weak ones are friendly and vague, and a vague policy gets you vague answers from whoever has to explain it, including you at 10pm.

A vague clause and a usable one

A typical vague one reads like this:

We want you to be happy with your purchase. If there is a problem, get in touch within a reasonable time and we will do our best to help. Items should be in good condition.

From that, a customer can't tell how long they have, what "good condition" means, or who pays the postage. Rewritten so it can be used, the same policy looks more like this:

You can return most items within 30 days of delivery for a refund. Items must be unused, with tags attached and in the original packaging. Email us before you post anything, with your order number. You pay the cost of returning an item unless it arrived faulty or was not what you ordered, in which case we pay. We refund to the original payment method within 5 working days of the parcel arriving back with us.

Every sentence in the second version answers something a customer would otherwise email you about. The numbers are only an example. Set the ones that suit your business, then stick to them.

What goes in it

1. The window in days, and when it starts. "30 days from delivery" is clear. "30 days" leaves people wondering: from the order, dispatch or delivery?
2. Condition. Spell out what counts as unused. For a dog coat, "not worn outdoors, tags attached". For a bed, "not slept on".
3. Who pays postage in each case: change of mind, wrong size, faulty, wrong item sent.
4. The steps. Do they contact you first? Which address? What goes in the parcel? Should they use tracked post?
5. How long the refund takes after the parcel arrives, and where it goes.
6. Whether you offer exchanges, and how they work compared with a refund.
7. Your contact details, so anyone, person or bot, can send a customer to the right place.

Pet products come with exceptions

Pet shops have more exceptions than most, and "case by case" doesn't help anyone. Spell out what applies to each.

• Food and treats: for example, "unopened and in date, returnable within 14 days. Opened bags cannot be returned unless faulty."
• Hygiene items such as grooming tools or litter products: whether they can come back once opened.
• Personalised items such as engraved tags or named bandanas: whether you accept returns at all. Many shops don't, and that's fine as long as it's written down.
• Subscriptions: how to cancel, and whether the next delivery can still be stopped after it's been charged.
• Faulty or damaged goods: how long the customer has to report it, and whether you want a photo.

Faulty or damaged goods deserve their own heading. Your legal duties for faulty goods are separate from your goodwill returns window, so keep the two apart in the text. Check the details for your own business with a trusted source such as Citizens Advice or Trading Standards guidance.

Make it easy to skim

Use short sentences, and subheadings that match the questions people ask: "How long do I have?", "Who pays for postage?", "How do I send it back?" Put numbers in digits, so "30 days" instead of "thirty days or so".

Avoid "may", "at our discretion" and "where appropriate" unless you mean them. If you do, say what the discretion depends on. And keep it to one page with one version. If your terms and your returns page disagree, the customer will quote whichever one helps them.

Test it against your inbox

Pull out five messages customers have sent you about returns. Read your policy as that customer would and see whether the answer is there, in words you could paste straight into a reply. If you find yourself adding a sentence to the reply, put it in the policy too, and the next customer gets it without asking.

Some good ones to try: "Can I return it if my dog does not like it?", "Can I swap for a different size?", "It arrived damaged, what now?", "Do you refund postage?", "Can I return an opened bag of food?"

If you use a support chatbot, it answers from this policy, so all of the above carries straight over. Hope AI is built from your FAQ, shipping and returns policies and catalogue, answers only from them, and says so when it doesn't know. A precise policy is the most useful thing you can give it, and it's worth writing whether you ever use a bot or not. For other repeat questions, see the five questions every pet brand gets. If your products depend on sizing, there's a page on support for pet accessory and apparel brands.